


Her Face Says Freedom

by thefandomlife



Category: Smosh
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Angst, F/F, Falling In Love, Journalist, M/M, Mentions of Murder, Protection Magic, Rape/Non-con Elements, Slow Burn, Spells & Enchantments, Witch AU, protection spell, there's no actual rape but still assault like situations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 11:28:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21118031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefandomlife/pseuds/thefandomlife
Summary: Courtney Miller moves to the cul de sac of Maple Lane where the only neighbor she has is an interesting woman with her only companion being a black cat. Her friend's think she's a witch, but maybe it's just her aesthetic?





	Her Face Says Freedom

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! So this story became the bane of my existence real quick, it took me so long to write it!!! It originally started off as an au prompt I found somewhere on tumblr about the neighbor next door befriending a stray cat and basically being very witchlike, but my mind got ahead of me. A whole ass plot unraveled and I just had to bust it out. At times it all felt so rushed and weird, but I was never happy with ending it too rushed. I hope this story is good and readable and that you all enjoy it for this Spooky Season! 
> 
> Also here's a link to the spotify playlist I created while writing it!  
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ntikKaCd90ZCHehQFRP38
> 
> Also, just a warning that there are rape/non-con elements mentioned and an assault situation halfway through the story, so go forward with caution!

“Here’s the last box,” Shayne grunted, plopping the box down on the step. “Whew! Finally, we’re done! Now the unpacking is all up to you now!” He laughed, wiping his brow at the sweat that had gathered there from the literal hours of work he had put into lifting heavy items from the back of his truck bed.

“Hot lordy, let’s go and explore your new neighborhood and grab a burger, Court. I’m done wiped out.” Damien groaned, leaning against his boyfriend.

Courtney was famished herself, the day had been full of excitement and nervousness. She had finally up and left her old apartment that she had been sharing with one of the most toxic people to ever exist. She needed her own place to spread her wings and settle into adulthood, not with someone who couldn’t grow up and get a job or a decent boyfriend. Not that she was judging said girl for having a boyfriend, she just always dated the slobs and the assholes.

“Yeah, I’m pooped. I just need to lock up real quick, why don;t you get the AC running in the truck and I’ll grab my stuff!”

She couldn’t help the grin that morphed on her face as she picked up her brand new set of keys to her own home.  _ My own place, I don’t have to share it with anybody! _ She giggled in excitement, taking a deep breath and enjoying how her shoulders relaxed and her anxiety faded into the foreground of her subconscious.

Damien and Shayne were arguing over what music to play, she could hear their laughter and teasing from outside the truck. She was glad her best friends could help her move, now she was closer to them and could walk a couple blocks to hang out whenever she wanted.

“C’mon, you don’t want to listen to Wham?!” Shayne exclaimed with a teasing laugh.

“No! I want to listen to actual good music, you buffoon! Now play the Shrek album immediately!”

“Ewwww, you guys are both so gross, I vote for Wham.” Courtney settled herself in the backseat, buckling her seatbelt over her chest.

“Thank you!” Shayne shouted, pressing the song on his phone.

Damien jokingly groaned as the classic beat of “Wake Me Up” blared through the speakers. As the lover boys argued over the next song, Courtney started mentally checking off her list of priorities and making note of some future deeds to be done. She had switched jobs so that she could live closer to her workplace, and also because the amount of sexual harassment violations that popped up in the past year were alarming and she had to get out of there.

As well as finishing up her masters, she was going to be working at the university. It was her dream job, she was going to be journalism department and training under the assistant editor. It was exciting and a whole brand new environment for her to explore. It would also be a good way for her to branch out and put some experience on her resume before reaching out to bigger newspapers and networks. 

“I think that 80’s pop should be brought back into trend.” Shayne said as he slammed his truck door shut.

“I have to kind of agree with you,” Courtney grimaced, “the vibe is pretty compelling.”

“Not you too Court! He got Noah and Keith to agree with him!” Damien groaned.

“I will push you to the dark side.” Shayne teased as they walked towards the In-N-Out.

  
  
  


The drive back to her new home was pleasant and more quieter than the previous ride. Courtney felt so relaxed and happy after spending the day with her boys and now being able to return home. This was exciting and she couldn’t wait for what life had in store for her now.

“Dude I saw that chick earlier!” Damien exclaimed, pointing forward as they came up onto her street.

“What?” Courtney asked, leaning forward to get a better look.

Up ahead there was a girl, about their age, taking what looked like an evening stroll. She was wearing a long, wavy maxi skirt and some hippie looking, long shirt and shawl. She had long, wavy black hair and a beautiful complexion. She also had on black cat eye sunglasses with a black umbrella and basket in hand, even though it was sunset and definitely not raining. 

“That is, strange.” Shayne muttered as he pulled into Courtney’s new driveway.

Courtney was more in awe of that fact that trailing along behind her was a very beautiful solid black cat.

“Dude I think I have a witch as a neighbor…” Courtney muttered in disbelief.

“Make sure she doesn’t put a spell on you!” Damien joked as she got out of the car and said her goodbyes.

Walking into her new home felt glorious. There was absolute silence and nobody to put on a mask. She was free to be herself in her own space. She set to work on unloading the boxes, organizing items into the proper rooms and spaces. She found her record player and put on her favorite Beatles record, enjoying the old school sound of melodies and guitars meshing together. 

It took her until two in the morning to get everything sorted and into its proper spot. She knew she would rearrange things around whenever she felt like it, but for now she was pleasantly happy with how her new space looked like. She crawled into her bed and slept soundly, looking forward to her first day of work.

  
  


\----

  
  
  


The sound of rain hitting her window woke her up before her alarm. Courtney yawned and stretched her arms as she sat up. She admired her room, patting her own back for a job well done and how everything vibed well with the room. She got up and turned on her spotify playlist, swaying her hips to the beat as she got up and started some coffee. 

She sang to the soulful tunes as she showered, performing her own imaginative concert to an equally imaginary crowd. She danced and applied makeup, pulled on a pair of jeans and a blouse and blow dried her hair. She plugged in her straightener as she sipped her coffee.

She ate a quick breakfast, yogurt and granola, and dashed out of the house after realizing she was going to be cutting it close. She opened the door and almost stepped on the black cat from yesterday. She yelled and almost threw her coffee in the air.

“My goodness kitty, you scared me half to death!” She leaned down and rubbed behind the cat’s ears, pleased to hear it purr and rub its head against her hand.

“Okay, I’ve gotta go, cat, please go home to your mother!” She instructed the feline.

To her shock, the cat blinked at her and turned around and walked down the driveway and into the bushes towards her right, where a bright yellow house stood at the end of the road. The house was almost hidden from the amount of plants, shrubbery, bushes, and trees that littered the yard. It looked like it should have been absolute chaos, but instead it looked magical and mystical. 

She jumped in the car and gave the house and black cat, who sat on the front porch of said house now, a final look before driving off to work.

  
  
  
  


\----

  
  


Her first day was a success. She got into the building and onto the right floor just in time and got her brand new badge. She was immediately given a set of instructions and assignments to get started on. A lot of research was piled on her and coworkers rushed by in greeting, already busy on their own tasks at hand. 

Shayne had been able to come over and have lunch with her, even though he worked in the architecture building as a paid intern. They were both busy bodies who loved working and being passionate about their majors. Damien was passionate about game design, but he wasn’t as intense as the two of them.

It was a good day, she almost forgot that her shift ended and she could go home.

  
  


She got home in just under ten minutes, which was such a relief since she used to have to drive twenty minutes out and then wait in traffic. As she pulled into the driveway, she could see the black cat on her porch again, its tail flicking out in what appeared to be interest. She chuckled under her breath, grabbed her purse and paperwork, and opened the car door. 

“Hey there kitty,” she greeted the waiting cat, “whatcha doin’ over her for?”

That’s when she noticed a pile of mail underneath the cat. She dropped down into a squat and scrubbed the cat’s head as she picked up an envelope. Written on the front was the name “Olivia Sui” and the address to the yellow house just a couple yards away. 

“Is this your momma?” She asked the cat, curious as to how the cat seemed to actually listen to her speak to it.

She gathered her courage and sucked in a deep breath, gathering the mail in her arms and motioning for the cat to follow. To her surprise, the cat followed at her ankles as she made her way down the road. She had the weirdest feeling of trepidation and nervousness as she neared the house. Her ears perked up at the sound of music, she recognized the dreamy tone of Stevie Nicks softly playing. She could also hear another voice singing along to the song, Gypsy was the song she realized. 

As she got up to the fence, she could see that the chaos from far away was actually a very beautiful garden. There were a lot of flowers with long drooping leaves and limbs that created an undisturbed and natural forest vibe. Suddenly, from over where a bush of Hydrangeas dwelled, a girl appeared out of nowhere. She pushed a pair of bright orange sunglasses up onto the top of her head and peered at her.

Courtney felt the air in her lungs gush out of her at the sight of the woman’s face. She had beautiful almond shaped, brown eyes, defined cheekbones, and pretty plump pink lips. She looked slightly shorter than her own five foot seven, which made her look even more adorable. She was wearing a bright orange band shirt in psychedelic colors and patterns and high waisted jeans, making her look more normal than she appeared to the day before.

“H-Hi! Sorry to disturb you, I just moved in the other day and wanted to introduce myself.” Courtney stuttered, reaching her hand forward. “I’m Courtney, Courtney Miller.”

The girl tilted her head and considered her for a second which felt like an eternity. Suddenly she smiled softly and maneuvered through the path of bushes and shrubs over towards the fence to shake her hand. Her hands were soft and also course from working in the garden, it was intriguing and made her skin tingle to be touching this mysterious woman.

“Nice to meet you Courtney,” she spoke in a soft, yet strong voice, “I’m Olivia Sui.”

“I guess these belong to you then!” Courtney thrusted the envelopes forward into Olivia’s arms.

“I guess so, sorry about that,” she apologized, “the mailman is a judgmental jackass and thinks I’m creepy so he’s always dropped my mail off at your place.”

Courtney frowned, peeved at the man she hadn’t even seen yet.

“You’re not creepy at all, what a dick!” She exclaimed.

Olivia’s smile widened and her eyes brightened, a beautiful look that blew Courtney away.

“Thank you for that, and thank you for returning Ruby to me as well.”

The cat jumped up on the fence at the sound of her name and rubbed her head against Olivia’s arm. 

“She’s a good cat! It’s almost like she can hear what I’m saying when I speak to her!” Courtney said with a laugh.

Olivia ran a hand delicately down Ruby’s spine, smiling as the cat arched its back into the touch. She looked up at Courtney and smirked.

“Maybe she can, I’ve wondered that myself. It’s why I picked her.”

They stood there chatting about how Courtney was liking her new place and which restaurants she should try in the area, the whole time Courtney just wanted to blurt out and ask if she was a witch. It seemed rude to ask, so she kept it to herself, but she couldn’t help but be curious.

_ It could just be a fashion and aesthetic choice, geez, Court…. _

“Well I should head back and start dinner,” Courtney finally said, awkwardly shuffling her feet, “I’ll see you tomorrow with your mail then.”

Olivia blushed, lowering her head to hide the reaction. 

“Before you go,” she ran back towards her house and behind some trees, returning with a potted plant, “have this, I usually sell them at the farmers' market but I like to give them away.”

“Oh I can’t just take that without payment! You grew that!” Courtney exclaimed.   
  


“No, go ahead, I insist! It’s a welcome home gift!” She pushed the plant into her hands.

Courtney sighed and finally accepted the beautiful succulent.

“It’s beautiful, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Olivia smiled sweetly, “I’ll see you around, Courtney.”

She rather liked hearing Olivia say her name in her soft spoken tone.

  
  
  
  


\----

  
  
  


Over the next few weeks Courtney got used to her new routine. She would have breakfast, always trying out some new homemade remedy or produce that Olivia forced her to try and have. She loved the homegrown blueberries, the honeysuckle she would drip into her yogurt, the homemade breads of all assortments of flavors, and the lavender and peppermint plants. Then she would get to work, some days she would have class but most often she worked, and have lunch with Shayne (occasionally Damien would join when he could or Sarah from the marketing department followed by Monica from the digital art department), before getting home at four when she would gather the days mail and give it to Olivia.

She really looked forward to the days when Olivia had some homemade meal she wanted to show Courtney and would invite her to sit and eat with her on the porch, no matter the weather. She enjoyed the evenings when the rain would pour into the garden and they would gather around her endless candles and share stories, laughing the whole time.

It was one of these evenings that she ended up staying out too late and got sick the next morning. She woke up with a sore throat and her whole body felt like it was on fire. She groaned and called in sick to work, immediately grateful that her boss loved her in the two months she had been working there. 

She slept in for a couple more hours and woke up in a puddle of sweat. She grimaced, feeling gross and even worse than when she had woken up. She groaned as she got out of bed and shuffled to the kitchen, putting the kettle on. Suddenly the doorbell rang, she groaned into her hands and pulled her hair back and out of her face. She opened the door to see the mailman. He gave an uncomfortable smile which she realized was because Ruby was propped on her porch and glowering at him. 

“Hello, can you sign here?” 

“Sure.” she coughed into her elbow before grabbing the tablet and signing. 

She glanced over at the package and stilled, she had just signed for Olivia’s package. It didn’t bother her to sign for her, but isn't that illegal or something? It was wrong, this wasn’t her package and the guy knew it.

“Why am I signing this?” She asked abruptly as he handed her the package.

He paled and stuttered for a second.

“She isn’t home, you don’t mind do you?”

“What’s your name?” She asked, scowling at the guy literally shaking in his boots.

“Listen, she’s demonic. You’ve got to believe me, I’ve seen things, she’s done things to me! She’s crazy, trust me!”

“You’re psychotic if you think such a sweet person as Olivia is ''demonic ``. Now tell me your name so I can write a review for your boss.”

“Fine, I’m glad to go! She has harassed me and I’d be glad to not have to come here again! My name is Stan Kennedy, report me if you’d like!” He stormed down the porch, jumped in his van, and sped off. 

Courtney smiled in victory, suddenly coughing up a storm again. She looked up to see Olivia on her porch, watching the mailman speeding away. Courtney smiled and waved, trying not to cough again. Olivia just stared at her before heading back into her house.

Courtney returned to her tea, pouring herself a cup of earl grey and some honey drizzled in. She covered herself in blankets and sat in front of her t.v, turning on Netflix and ironically enough landing on Sabrina the Teenage Witch. 

Rain started pouring down again, pittering against her window in a rhymetic tune. She lit her candles, a couple of ones that Olivia gifted her, and basked in the warmth and light around her.

Suddenly the doorbell rang again and she was forced to get up from her comfortable position. She opened the door to see Olivia standing there, her black umbrella in hand and a basket in the other.

“Do you mind if I come in?” She asked politely.

Courtney could only nod her head for fear of coughing all over her face. Olivia cautiously entered the house as Courtney shut the door, shivering at the gust of wind that managed to sneak its way inside. She followed Olivia into the kitchen where she started unloading supplies and herbs. She gave Courtney a sharp look and scowled.

“Go get comfortable, don’t work yourself into another coughing fit.”

Instead of questioning her on how she knew Courtney was sick, she gave up and went back to her nest of blankets. Just to spite her, she clicked play on the episode she left off and grinned wickedly as Sabrina went on performing some spell. In a matter of minutes, Olivia was walking into the living room with a steaming mug in hand. She casted the t.v a judgmental glance and pressed the mug into Courtney’s cold fingers.

“It’s hot, so sip it slowly.” Olivia warned.

Courtney sighed, pleased with the aroma of herbs and spices wafting from the mug. She took a slow sip and hummed in approval.

“What is this?”

“It’s my flu concoction,” Olivia smirked, grabbing a pair of wool socks from her basket. “Half of a lemon, a dash of cayenne, and raw honey in warm water. Glad you like it.”

“You really are a witch,” Courtney muttered, mostly to herself in her sick daze, “‘s so cool, you doin’ your witchy thing.”

Olivia just stared at her before smiling softly, almost hesitantly.

“I also put my on healing spell over it, so hopefully that works as well.”

Courtney was shocked to hear her affirm her curiosities.

“Th-Thank you, no one has been this kind to me in a long time.” She took another sip and smiled forlornly. “My mom would make me chicken noodle soup when I was sick.”

“Mother’s love has the power of a healing spell, it’s just as magical.” Olivia hummed in agreement.

“Are you close with your mother?”

She stilled, smiling forlornly before getting up in one swift, fluid motion.

“We used to, but then I came here.”

Courtney couldn’t help but think about the sad look in Olivia’s eyes hours after she had left her with a basket full of goodies and remedies.

  
  
  
  


\----

  
  
  


“Hey Courtney,” a knock on her cubicle alerted her of the presence looming over her shoulder, “how’s the column coming along?”

Brett was one of the writers, he was talented in the words department and had a way of making a mundane topic sound intriguing. Courtney liked that about him, not just his cute face that slightly reminded her of her ex. It concerned her that she apparently had a type, and not just in looks it seemed. Damien loved to point it out to her that always went for the same offbrand guy or girl every time.

“It’s going,” she grimaced, stretching her spine out until it finally popped, releasing some of the tension in her back, “are you heading out? Is it that time already?”

“Yeah, do you want to join me for drinks? Well, me and the team, we are heading down to that pub around the corner just to release some tension after this grueling week.”

Courtney could feel the excuse starting to worm its way up her throat, but she hesitated. She was just going to go home and do boring housework chores. Why not go out and socialize with fellow coworkers? She found this guy attractive, why not see if it goes anywhere? Her love life had been pretty dry as of recently, she needed to get back into the game and jump on the chances thrown her way.

“Sure, let me finish up this last sentence and I’ll meet you out in the hall!”

“Don’t be too long, that last sentence turns into a paragraph, I know you Miller!” He winked.

She hid her blush by burying her nose back into her paperwork. She could hear Shayne’s voice hyping her up in her head as she finished editing the last line, finally packing everything and closing up shop for the night. She turned off her desk lamp and joined the others in the lobby, Brett was in the middle of a story that had everyone laughing hysterically.

“Hey! You’re done already?” Brett cheered, sliding an arm around her shoulder playfully. “We ready to blow this joint?”

He was met with cheers from everyone, including herself. 

  
  
  


In the yellow house on the corner of Hazelnut Drive, Olivia sat up straight in her seat. Her mother had proclaimed how she was one of the best telepaths she had ever known, she never had to concentrate for long for other people’s thoughts and feelings to come flooding towards her. But this was the first time someone’s thoughts came hurtling at her from miles away.

She was filled with a rush of excitement and nervousness, it made her skin itch and her palms sweat; she hated it. She instantly knew it was Courtney, based on how the aura in her head was the same yellow, warm sensation of the blonde haired woman she was starting to know. 

She couldn’t read minds, per say, but all she heard was a name uttered over and over again: Brett Olsen. It filled her with a sickly, jealous ache in her chest. It was painful, clenching in her chest as she could feel the waves of attraction towards this name coming from Courtney.

But what she could feel more prominently was the aura of this man, it was something dark and meant to do harm. She couldn’t tell what the person meant to do, these feelings were so widespread at times, but it wasn’t a good feeling and it scared her.

She hadn’t known Courtney very long, but there was something so exceptional about the blonde haired woman next door. She had life pooling around her, in how she expressed herself, treated her friends, and approached her job. She was a good person, genuine and beautiful deep down. She had even defended her to the pesky mailman, that was astounding to her-- that guy had been a thorn in her side for so long!

She was even more beautiful on the outside, Olivia thought as her cheeks flushed bright red.

Olivia liked to think she was a rational person, she stuck to growing her plants, keeping her temper under control, and focusing on the good auras of people and friends. But she couldn’t handle this horrid feeling any longer. She never interfered with people’s lives, but this sensation was sent to her for a reason: she had to do something. She got up from the table, Ruby tilting her head up at her in curiosity as she grabbed an empty pot and some dirt.

As she silently seethed, she grabbed a dowel, some cord, and some parchment and a pen. She set it down on her living room floor and got back up again, grabbing this time a black candle and her favorite black crystal. She sat down in the middle of the floor and gathered her supplies close, holding onto the emotions swirling in turmoil in her mind. The crystal was placed on the coffee table in front of her and she grabbed the candle and matches in hand, closing her eyes and focusing on the emotion, pulling it up and feeding into it. 

She thought of Courtney being wiped out by the bad intentions, the dark energy stealing away her innocence and wiping off her beautiful smile. It made her enraged, protective of this woman she was starting to like with each and every day. Her rage came to a boil underneath her skin as she lit the candle, imagining the flame being fed by her feelings. 

She cracked her eyes open and grabbed the pen and paper, writing Brett Olsen and wrapping it around the dowel, and slowly binding the cord around it tightly. 

“You’re bad behavior is going to cease,” She hissed, wrapping it once around, “thoughts of Courtney, you will release,” twice around, “my feelings for you are stone, I command you, leave Courtney alone.” She uttered, twisting it the third and final time.

“As I speak, so must it be.” Her shoulders drooped, the telltale sensation of her energy draining leaving her feeling boneless and tired.

That’s how she knew it worked.

  
  
  
  


Courtney was having a great time. The music was great, the drinks were amazing, and the company was even better. She got along with everyone in the office, but there was always that awkward work relationship awkwardness that hung over the conversation before. Now, she felt comfortable and at ease talking with Amanda from the lifestyle columns and Jeff the nature photographer. 

“Yeah, you should come over sometime and join our watch parties!” Amanda encouraged her, nudging her with her shoulder. “We always have a great time, Jeff makes some killer enchiladas.”

“Oh stop it, they weren’t that great!”

“Stop downplaying yourself! You’re amazing!”

“Yeah, I’d love to join!” Courtney exclaimed with a grin. “I haven’t found anyone who is into American Horror Story. My best friends are terrified of anything scary so I can never watch with them!”

“Oh my god yes you are so welcome to join!” Amanda gushed, “But real important question: what was your favorite season?” 

“I really liked Coven, and the most recent one, Apocalypse. Taissa Farmiga is a goddess, I am absolutely in love with her.”

“That’s an acceptable answer, Taissa is iconic,” Jeff admitted, his brow raised as he leaned forward, “but everyone knows that Roanoke was the best season.”

“Oh my god we are not friends anymore!” Amanda exclaimed, shoving his shoulder as he laughed. “He’s totally joking, Asylum was the best so far, no one can outdo my queen Sarah Paulson.”

“Also, not to alarm you, but Brett has been eyeing you for the longest time, it’s starting to give me the heebie-jeebies.” Jeff said, gesturing over his shoulder.

Courtney didn’t have much time to process the sentence because Amanda kicked her shin and gave her a look she couldn’t read.  _ Damn, I’m too tipsy for this…. _ she cursed, squinting her eyes to get rid of the blurred image of Amanda’s face warping out in front of her.

“Hey,” Courtney turned to see Brett approaching her from her right, “how’s it hanging over here?”

“Hey!” she greeted him, a little too enthusiastically she realized. “Where have you been?”

“I was on the dance floor but no one was a suitable dance partner, want to prove me wrong?” He reached his hands out to her.

She smirked, setting her cup with Amanda to watch over, and accepted his hand. She almost forgot what Jeff had said as she was dragged into the pit of bodies dancing and moving in tandem around her.  _ I should do something…. This doesn’t seem right… didn’t Jeff try to just warn me?  _ The air seemed to morph and change around them as she was pulled into the crowd of sweaty bodies and sexual tension. Her hips answered to the beat, immediately swaying and feeling the sensations coursing through her. It was like everyone’s emotions and souls were moving through her like water, her mind was like jelly, ready to be morphed and persuaded.

Brett’s hands were hot on her waist, his calloused fingertips burning holes through her button up. He smirked down at her, a whole foot taller than her, almost cocooning her from the movements of everyone around them. She let her hands settle on his shoulder blades, slowly sliding down his defined chest.

They moved in rhythm, slow at first but picking up speed as the song continued. Her heart was beating, a painful ache in her chest, but it all seemed so far away. She tried concentrating on the moment, of how good it felt to be moving against someone, to have their attention. But something didn’t seem right, she couldn’t place it. Her gut was screaming at her, making her feel nauseous and weird. 

“I knew you’d be this sexy….” he whispered in her ear, “seeing you at work was driving me crazy not having you.”

Suddenly, like being hit with a ton of water, her anxiety slammed full force in her chest. Her hands shaking, she pried herself from his grip, laughing awkwardly.

“Sorry for that, uh, I’m not feeling so well….”

“Oh really?” Brett’s brows scrunched in concern, “let me get you an uber.”

“No, I’m fine--”

“I insist, I was the one to invite you out, it will make me feel better to know you got home safe.”

She didn’t have the energy to argue, so she allowed him to guide her out of the pub and towards the exit. The wind hit her face in a wave of relief, she breathed in and out slowly, enjoying the feeling of her sanity crawling back. Suddenly, as her shoulders began to release the tense position it had cramped up in, she was slammed into the brick wall behind her.

“What the hell?!” She exclaimed before Brett was slamming his lips forcefully against hers.

She tried to bite his lip in protest, anything she could try to hit or protest against, but he had her held strongly against him, his obvious hard on pressed against her stomach and making her sick. Thousands of scenarios flashed through her mind, all awful and terrifying, petrifying her with fear.

Before she could act, Brett made a choking sound and pulled away from her, but not far enough before he vomited right down her shirt. She shrieked and saw her chance, kneeing him in the balls and dashing down the alley towards the main road. She found an empty cab and yanked the door open.

“Hi, I need you to start driving NOW.” She yelled at the cab driver, who had been in the middle of eating a ham and turkey swiss.

The driver jumped into action, taking the car out of park and sleekly merging into traffic, just narrowly missing Brett catching up. 

“Ma’am? Are you alright?” The driver asked, concern laced in his tone.

She was hyperventilating, her heart was sure to beat its way out of her chest, she was sure of it. 

“Do I need to call the police? I got a good look at him and could pick him out of a line up.”

She tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a sob.

“S-Sure thing, I work with him, it would be awkward on Monday if he were there.”

She gave the driver her address as he dialed 911. They stopped by the police station, filling out her first ever police report and shaking the entire time. One of the officers found her an oversized shirt to wear, that promisingly wasn’t covered in vomit.

She thanked the taxi driver countless times as the ordeal went on for another couple hours of relaying what happened and finishing the report. 

“Thank you Miss Miller, we will take it from here. You won’t have to see him on Monday.” The officer said with a pitying smile.

She hated pity smiles, especially from grown older men.

The taxi driver bid her a good night as he pulled onto her road and watched her walk up the steps to her house. She wanted to cry, she couldn’t believe such a good situation went south so quickly. Why did these things happen to her?

She happened to look up and noticed Olivia standing vigil on her porch. Even though it was dark, Courtney could swear the dark haired girls face was pinched into a scowl. Courtney waved, getting a slow nod in response. 

It felt like a promise.

  
  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  


After that whole experience, it seemed like Olivia knew what happened. Yeah, Courtney knew she was a practicing witch, but magical powers weren’t real, right? It was almost like the woman had read her mind and came to her aide everytime she felt like cowering away.

First it was the natural made bath bombs and homemade oils. Olivia would come over every evening to showcase her new creations and always seemed to have extras to leave with her. Courtney wasn’t dumb, the bath bombs and oils were carefully wrapped and were her favorite scents she had expressed to Olivia prior.

She appreciated the gifts though, her baths were calming and instantly soothe the sore muscles in her back and body. The oils, she used in her air diffuser, always helped her headaches and made her home smell absolutely heavenly. It was like living in Olivia’s garden, but without the actual girl there to make the whole experience worthwhile. 

“Can you teach me how to make a bath bomb?” She asked one evening as they huddled in Olivia’s living room, sipping herbal teas and eating vegan banana bread. 

Olivia swivelled her head over and scowled over her mug of tea. It sounded weird, but Courtney loved seeing the shorter girl scowl. It showed how she felt about things she would say, she would passionately express her thoughts while scowling the whole time. And every now and then, a small smile would break through, it was like sunshine peeking through the clouds.

“Why? Do you not like the ones I’ve been making? I can add in different scents or change the recipe entirely…”

“No no! I’m just curious how you make them! I want to learn.” 

Olivia continued to scowl, but the tense lines in her forehead eased and she gestured for Courtney to follow her. 

Olivia had a large back room where she dedicated it to most of her creations, her spellwork, and herbal blends. There was one wall that was a full pane of glass window, showcasing the dreary, rainy sky, and the other walls were covered with wood paneling. Baskets of plants and flowers hung from the ceiling, vines curling and hanging low enough to brush against Courtney’s head. There were pots with all sorts of green plants propped up in all the corners of the room, making it look like an indoor jungle scene. 

At her work bench was a bunch of herbs and supplies. 

“What we need to get started is half a cup of baking soda, a quarter cup of citric acid, a quarter cup of corn starch, and two tablespoons of Epsom salt.” Olivia instructed, gathering the supplies that were laid out on the bench and pulling them forward. 

“So, measure out those dry ingredients and pour them in here,”she grabbed a mixing bowl and set it in front of Courtney, “we are going to add lavender and lemon to this bath bomb and not colorize it, that’s a whole other process.”

Courtney did as she was told, grabbing the baking soda and pouring out the correct measurement. Olivia watched with a careful eye, handing her the cornstarch and the citric acid. As she measured, her cheeks flushed with the attention aimed on her. Her eye began twitching with the need to look up at Olivia and see the pressing look she was aiming at her.

“Good,” Olivia muttered as the citric acid was added in, “now we are going to add in the lavender petals, lemon shavings, and pink salt, along with the appropriate essential oils.”

She grabbed the petals from a bowl and gently placed them in Courtney’s hand, her fingers brushing her own, sending jolts of electricity up her spine. She tried not to gasp as she turned, covering her face with her short hair and dropping the petals into the mixture. 

“Now we are going to add water and spray it on, mixing it together and then we are going to put it into this mold, waiting for it to dry.”

Olivia watched and judged her over her shoulder, pointing out when she needed more water and to mix it better. She placed it in the mold, smiling to herself as Olivia helped her pack it in, nice and tight. 

“Now we are going to wait overnight for it to dry and then by tomorrow you’ll have your own bath bomb.” 

“Teach me a spell.” Courtney blurted out. “I mean, if you want to, I-I, I’m just so curious and I want to see you in action.”

Olivia stared at her, her face scolded into a mask. Courtney could see the emotion passing through her eyes though, she was overwhelmed.

“Maybe another time, when my energy is up more.”

  
  
  


\-----

  
  
  


“I don’t know what it is, Shayne,” Courtney stabbed her salad angrily, “she’s so intriguing and pretty and I don’t know what to do!”

“Just do something, that’s it! Just walk up to her door and kiss her straight on the mouth, I don’t know, anything! Just tell her, what’s the worst that could happen?” Shayne shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly, taking a sip of his cranberry La Croix.

“You say that like it’s easy.” She grumbled.

“Man you have no room to be giving her advice like that!” Damien exclaimed, shoving his boyfriend’s shoulder. “You were shaking like a leaf when we were paired up in Bio Chem and I was the one to ask you out!”

“Shut up!” Shayne blushed.

They all laughed, nostalgia hanging over their shoulders as they remembered their old high school days.

“I don’t know guys, I need advice.” She smacked her head onto the table, immediately regretting it after realizing how many greasy, gross fingers touched the surface, “There’s something about her that is pulling me towards her and I want to do something about it.”

“Why not try and flirt and see how she reacts? That way you can dip your toe in and see what happens.” Damien suggested, popping a fry in his mouth.

“What if she has a negative reaction?” Her stomach churned with anxiety at the thought.

“Then it isn’t a right time. I know it would suck, believe me everytime I wanted to ask Shayne out, he wasn’t giving me the right vibes so I had to accept that and slink back a bit to give him space.” Shayne exclaimed and punched his boyfriend's shoulder playfully. “But it ended up working out, just like it might with Olivia.”

Her heart was racing and her palms were sweating, but she knew he was right. Now she just had to get out of the drama that Brett caused in her life.

  
  
  


~~~~

First it was the trauma that event caused. Almost being assaulted was scary, especially since she had been slightly inebriated. Olivia tried to take her out to pick flowers and herbs with her.

“If you have a garden, why do you still go out and pick herbs somewhere else?” 

“I like to venture out,” Olivia said, stopping in the middle of the path to wait for Ruby to catch up from smelling a tree stump, “it helps me think when I feel too cooped up.”

Courtney nodded her head, not knowing what else to say. Today was just a bad day and her brain was wreaking havoc on her sanity. All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and not talk to anyone, this was the last thing she wanted to do. But Olivia was like the Mr. Miyagi to her Ralph Macchio’s version of Daniel (no offence to Jadewn Smith tho, the classics are classic for a reason), coming in and dragging her ass out of bed and to be productive.

“Look,” Olivia bent down suddenly, “can you identify what plant this is?”

“You only let me read through the book you showed me once! How am I supposed to know everything!”

“You were supposed to use that opportunity to your advantage and soak up all the knowledge you could, anyone could identify this as basil.” Olivia whacked her head with the back of her hand.

“Hey!” Courtney exclaimed, falling back on her ass, “I was gonna say that!”

“Oh totally,” Olivia smirked, picking a couple leaves and smelling them, “I don’t believe you, Miller.”

She could have responded with an equally snarky response, but she was blown away by how gorgeous the woman before her was. Her dark hair was tied back with a cord and there were loose strands framing her diamond shaped face. She wanted to lean forward and kiss her, but the dark thunder clouds in the back of her brain started raining on her parade. She was all too aware of how she had skipped the gym this past week in fear of running into Brett there. 

And the last time she had shared such an intimate space with someone, they tried to take advantage of her.

Olivia cocked her head to the side, her brow scrunching in question.

“Why don’t you seek a therapist?” She asked out of the blue.

Courtney felt her insides shrivel up at the thought of talking to a random old man, some shrink who wouldn’t understand really but was being paid to listen to her rant. She needed this solved, not a place where she would wither up in her own self loathing. No, she didn’t need a therapist, it would be fine.

“I can’t, I have so much work to do and so much on my plate, having to gut myself in front of some random person wouldn’t be worth my time.” She stood up, dusting her pants off of the needles and dirt of the forest floor.

Olivia didn’t say anything, she just started walking forward down the path. Courtney scowled at her retreating back, confused. She expected some sort of reaction, a normal human response of “no you need help!” “go seek help, you are worthless without it”. She jogged to catch up with the witch, who bent down to pick a bundle of chamomile flowers.

“Pick those over there,” Olivia pointed to the other side of the path where another bunch of flowers sprouting up, “I’ll set the basket in the middle.”

Courtney got to work, doing as she was told, the whole time pondering why Olivia asked the question and then didn’t tell Courtney off. 

“When my mom died,” Olivia spoke up, her voice lower and scratchy from holding back tears, “I withdrew from everyone.”

Courtney almost whacked her head on a low hanging branch from how fast she stood up. Olivia had never opened up about her mom, her ears were wide open and her interest was piqued.

“She was the one who introduced me to witchcraft. She made me fall in love with the earth and the natural remedies to make you feel better or help other people. She was a beautiful person and it truly crushed me to not have her by my side.”

She picked a couple more plants, dropping them in the basket and facing Courtney this time, her dark brown eyes filled with tears. 

“I was a wreck and if it wasn’t for my friends pushing me to start therapy, I wouldn’t be here today.” She brushed a few stray tears away. “Everyone needs therapy and help, it does nothing but destroy you to keep it all bottled up.”

Courtney watched in awe as the girl went back to her picking and pretended like nothing happened, if wasn’t for the slight puffiness of her eyes and the tear marks on her cheeks, Courtney would have thought the whole thing was a weird fever dream. As the sun set, they walked back to the neighborhood, the silence surrounding them made her shoulders droop and the tension that had been building up inside of her finally released with a deep breath.

Olivia was a strong girl. She lived all by herself and surrounded herself with good vibes and wonderful magic. She spoke with wisdom and had a beautiful soul, if someone like her needed therapy in order to sustain herself, than Courtney did too.

“Do you have any recommendations?” She asked hesitantly, trying to hide her blush and embarrassment. 

Olivia smiled softly and, to Courtney’s sudden surprise, grabbed her hand and squeezed. 

“I have a couple.”

Courtney couldn’t stop the smile from growing on her face as they walked into the clearing of their neighborhood, Ruby purring contentedly as she weaved in between their legs.

  
  
  


~~~~

  
  


Work had been tough to get used to, what with all the staring, and surprisingly glares. Brett had been a loved person in the office, so for the new girl to press charges against him and a restraining order, it earned her glares. It was a good thing her boss wasn’t one of them and would take it upon herself to harshly remind everyone who gave Courtney a hard time, that there were plenty of qualified people in need of a job.

“Hey,” Amanda’s voice echoed from the next cubicle over, “boss told me to give you this before she left for the day.”

Courtney wheeled her chair out into the hall where Amanda was waiting and accepted an envelope. Her hands started shaking as she read who it was sent by.

“It’ll be okay,” Amanda muttered, “I can be there in the audience if you’d like.”

“Thank you.” Courtney croaked out past the lump forming in her throat.

She scooted back to her desk, shielded away from everyone else, and peeled the envelope open. With shaky hands she read it, her eyes scanning it several times, making a note of the times and dates and details of the trial.

“I can’t believe it,” Amanda said weeks prior when they all found out, “I can’t believe we all called him our friend when he was sexually assaulting and  _ murdering  _ women.”

It was still hitting her to this day, that while she was a victim, she could have been one of those poor girls found in back alleys by the cops. She had heard his confession tape, that he was now claiming was forced out of him by police brutality, and how he had wanted her to be one of his victims. Her skin crawled at how close she would have been to having her life torn out of this world by an actual fucking monster. 

She folded the letter up in her pocket and returned to work, pushing the fear into the back of her mind so that she could vent later to Olivia and then to her new therapist.

Courtney found that she loved therapy. Doctor Sarah Whittle was sweet and had a wicked sense of humor. She never judged her, always had a way of keeping things light when Courtney was literally pouring out her demons, and had great advice that she herself had never thought of before.

She made a mental note to call Sarah the next morning and schedule an extra appointment.

“Hey Miller,” Amanda called from where she was grabbing her purse on the coat rack behind them, “you want to come over this weekend to watch the recent episode?”

“Sure,” she glanced at the clock, realizing work ended a half an hour ago, “I’d love to.”

She smiled at her, softly settling a hand on her shoulder.

“Get home safe and call me if you need anything.”

Courtney watched her new friend walk down the hallway and out of sight. Tears welled in her eyes as she felt her heart soar. It was hard to trust people, but it was nice when they did things for her unwarranted. 

She gathered her things and walked out of the office, opening her phone and clicking on Damien’s contact.

“Hey Court, what’s up?” Damien’s voice crackled over the speakers.

“I just wanted to hear about your day, I’m driving home and I don’t want my mind to wander. I’m also not in the mood to listen to a true crime podcasts ...it’s all too real ya know?”

“Oh yeah! For sure, let me just situate my cats real quick, they’re being actual butts right now and trying to tear down my curtains-- Zelda! Hey girl! Quit it!”

She grinned, enjoying hearing Damien’s dad voice come out as she started her car and pulled out of the parking lot.

“Sorry about that,” Damien sighed, his voice coming back closer to the speaker, “alright. Well, I woke up at nine this morning and went for a jog….”

Courtney felt her shoulders loosen up as she drove the mundane journey back home. The thoughts of Brett, the memory of seeing the crime scene photos of the other women murdered, and her general anxiety in life now faded from the forefront of her mind. It would all come back, she knew that, but she was glad she got over her own pride and had Sarah to let it all pour out for.

As she pulled onto hers and Olivia’s cul de sac, she immediately spotted said woman in her garden. Her car window was already rolled down the whole car ride, so the sound of Olivia’s radio was filtering through, some soft song playing over the hum of her car pulling in. 

“....and then Zelda decided it was high time to get her revenge on Shayne’s shoes and tried to tear them up, but I caught her this time!....”

Courtney turned the car off and sat there, letting Damien’s voice fill her mind still and watching Olivia swing her hips to the song. She could see Ruby walking on the edge of the fence, her tail swishing to the beat of the song amusingly. Olivia was wearing a long yellow skirt and a button up white blouse, a beautiful straw sunhat perched on her head, her dark waves flowing down her back. She was smiling and singing off key as she watered her flowers.

Finally Olivia turned and looked up at her. She grinned and waved, smiling knowingly. She stood up straighter and cocked her head, a motion that Courtney had learned to read as her “what can I do to help?” face. 

“Court? You there?” Damien spoke up.

“Sorry Dames, I just got home and zoned out.”

“You mean you zoned out on Olivia?” He teased.

Her cheeks flushed at how right he was.

“Shut up, you get the same about Shayne!”

“At least I’m dating him!”

“Touche.”

“You doing okay?” He asked after a beat of silence.

She sighed, breathing in and out, slowly like how Sarah taught her.

“Yeah, I got my court date today. Freaked me out a bit.”

“I’ll be over later with chinese.” 

“You don’t have to Dames, I know how busy you are with that project, seriously I’m fine!”

“Nope!” He exclaimed. “You can’t stop me! I’m gonna be with you when you are hurting and feeling vulnerable, this is a scary experience and you’re my best friend, of course I’ll be by your side!”

Her eyes filled with tears, a couple falling down her cheeks.

“Thanks Dames.”

“No problem, now get out of your car, stop staring at Olivia’s ass,” Courtney choked on her breath, diverting her eyes, “and get into some comfy clothes. Actually get in the bath, use those cool bath bombs and relax, I’ll be there with Shayne in under an hour!”

“You’re the worst.” She laughed, grabbing her purse and opening the car door.

“You love meeeee.”

She hung up and got out of the car, turning and waving at Olivia. Walking into the house and finally setting her purse down felt amazing. The smell of her lemongrass oil in the diffuser filled the entire living room, making her want to melt in a puddle.

The bath felt amazing, warm water and soothing scents of the bath bomb she created with Olivia calmed her immensely. She grabbed the book Sarah recommended her to read and flipped through the pages, filling her mind with different self help tips and stories. 

Suddenly the door swung open, Courtney jumped, covering her chest from exposure to whoever just broke into her bathroom and house. She screamed as Olivia emmerged, a basket in hand.

“Hey there did you ever try these cookies-- stop screaming, it’s me-- did you ever try my lemon and lavender cookies I told you about? I think you’d like them, they will go great with the herbal tea I gave you yesterday.”

“Liv!!!” Courtney screamed, pulling her legs up and underneath the bubbles, “How did you get into my house?”

“I had a copy of your key made ages ago,” the witch said offhandedly, “the important question here is if you’d prefer these over my homemade truffle chip cookies. Now that I think about it, you might prefer those, you said you liked chocolate more ...”

“Olivia Sui I am  _ naked,”  _ Courtney yelled, getting the woman’s attention finally, “go out and sit in the living room while I get changed!”

Olivia’s eyes snapped down to her cleavage, her cheeks flaring a bright red instantly and her eyes widening. She slowly backed out of the living room and closed the door. Courtney rubbed her hands down her face, a laugh forcing its way through the panic she just went through.She clambored out of the tub and pulled her sweatshirt and sweatpants on, twisting a towel over her hair and wiping off the stray makeup from her face.

Olivia was practically hiding in the cushions of her couch, her face sheepish.

“Sorry about barging in on you, I didn’t think….”

It went unsaid “I didn’t think about your traumatic experience of being violated and how you’re been traumatized for months now and I’ve been the shoulder you’ve cried on”, but it spoke volumes instead of being blurted out loud. Courtney preferred it that way.

“You’re all good,” she brushed it off, “now you promised me cookies?”

Olivia smiled softly and sat up, grabbing the basket and pushing them towards her.

“They’re probably crap, I could have done so much better. Just be honest if you don’t like them.”

“I’m sure they’re fine like always, Liv.” Courtney rolled her eyes, nudging her knee playfully, her fingers tingling from the brush of skin.

She bit into one of the cookies and instantly groaned. The burst of lemon and the soft, sweet flavor of the lavender mixed perfectly on her tongue. The cookie was soft and crumbled in her mouth elegantly.

“Liv, this is amazing!”

Olivia blushed, bashfully tucking a strand of her long hair behind her ear. 

Suddenly the doorbell rang and Courtney remembered Damien’s promise.

“Oh that’s my friends! You can finally meet them!”

She ran over to the door and swung it open, flinging her arms around Damien’s broad shoulders.

“Dammmes!” She cheered as he walked the both of them further into the living room, Shayne taking up the back and laughing as he took the bags of food into the kitchen.

“Hey! You’re Olivia, right?” Damien called over Courtney’s head.

“Yeah! Olivia meet my best friend Damien Haas,” she gestured to Damien, who waved, “and Damien meet my other best friend, Olivia Sui.”

Olivia gaped at her as Damien reached over and shook her hand.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” he grinned devilishly, “Courtney talks about you nonstop.”

“Quit iiiiit!” Courtney exclaimed, playfully punching his bicep.

“I thought I was your other best friend Courtney!” Shayne cried as he came into the room.

“You’ve been replaced,” she stuck her tongue out at him, “and anyway, you and your boyfriend are a package deal and are like one person.”

“Thanks.” The boys muttered, smiling softly to each other.

To her surprise, Olivia was sporting a heavy blush that she was trying to hide behind her hair. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the sight, the need to kiss her was so strong she almost had a heart attack and died on the spot.

“So,” Damien spoke up, “I thought we’d settle down and watch some shows you like, Court, and dish us up some delicious comfort food, nothing too crazy and all up to you.”

“What’s the occasion?” Olivia asked, scrunching her brow up at Courtney.

Damien and Shayne glanced up at Courtney, their mouths sealed in case she didn’t want to mention it.

“I got my court date in the mail at work today...it’s not a big deal…” She stuttered, feeling stupid for needing all this attenton over something so small and stupid.

“You didn’t tell me…” Olivia whispered, her face pale as she stumbled forward and grasped her hand. “What’s the date? I’ll be there by your side.”

“Liv, you don’t have to, honestly--”

“Well honestly I’m gonna be there for my best friend--” 

Olivia snapped her mouth shut, her eyes wide at the confession. Courtney felt her heart melt, a mess inside her body at this point and beating uncontrollably. She squeezed Olivia’s hand back, trying to make eye contact with her.

“You think of me as your best friend?”

Later, Courtney would realize that at this point, Shayne and Damien grinned ecstatically at each other and crept into the kitchen with the food.

“Of course! How could I not?!” Olivia was shaking at this point, trying not to look at Courtney. “You’re amazing and so smart and kind, when that happened to you I was so angry, it’s honestly a miracle I didn’t kill him….”   
  


“Wait,” Courtney’s eyes widened, “what do you mean?”

She snapped her lips shut and tried to move away, but Courtney grasped her hand tighter.

“Olivia, did you do something to Brett that night?” It all suddenly clicked together: the weird, sudden sensation she felt that hit her in the chest, the need to get away, and the way that Brett had suddenly vomited.

Olivia slowly looked up at her, her eyes filled with tears as she slowly nodded her head.

“What did you do?” Courtney whispered, transfixed.

“I got a feeling, a bad one,” she croaked, “I knew he was a bad person by the way the violent feeling hit me. I needed to do something, because you are so much better than that and didn’t deserve to be assaulted by him.”

“Honestly I wish I did more.”

Courtney’s eyes widened and her palms began to sweat.

“I wish he could have suffered more for even thinking of laying a hand on you. You are such a smart and amazing person, you belong in that office and beyond it with your work ethic, but that asshole only saw you as some object to be thrown away. I wish I could have thrown him away, but then I would be no better than him. I just can’t envision a world where you are hurt by anyone else like him, you don’t deserve that!”

At this point, Olivia was yelling and tears were streaming down Courtney’s cheeks.

“Before you came here, I felt so alone in the world. I was getting over my mom’s death and things were starting to look up, but I had no hope. But then you came along, this beautiful light force, such a beautiful soul. I can’t see that beautiful soul be diminished by some asshole.” 

Courtney was overwhelmed, her heart was swelling and flooding her chest. She remembered Damien and Shayne’s advice,  _ screw it, I’m going to do something for myself for once _ .

“Olivia?” She asked, voice shaky with nerves.

Olivia looked up at her, her eyes full of an emotion that was once unnamed, but all Courtney saw now was love.

“Would you please let me kiss you now?”

Olivia’s eyes widened before she eagerly nodded her head. Courtney grinned, grabbed Olivia’s waist and pulled her in, their lips connecting passionately. Sparks didn’t fly like in the books and the world didn’t fade away, but Courtney felt safe kissing Olivia. Her heart swelled with how Olivia’s hands grasped her shirt, clutching her as close as possible to her chest, and one hand snaked its way behind her head, pressing their lips firmly together.

“Finally!” Shayne yelled from the kitchen, making the two women jump, clutching each other tightly.

“Shut the fuck up!” Courtney laughed, pressing a kiss to Olivia’s forehead.

“On a lighter note, I’m glad you guys sucked it up and sucked each other’s faces!” Damien said with a shit eating grin.

As the boys teased them while getting a movie ready, Olivia never left her side. Courtney had never been one for intimacy, but it felt so right to have Olivia’s touching her. She held her hand when they walked to the kitchen and got their food, and when they were scooping noddles and chicken separately Olivia always had an arm brushing Courtney’s side in some way. It was nice, Courtney realized with a smile as they settled on the couch and Olivia shuffled her way under her arm and her head propped on her shoulder, to have someone care for you.

  
  
  
  
  


~~~~~

  
  


On December thirteenth, Brett Olsen was charged with three charges of first degree murder, aggravated assault, rape, and disordily conduct. It was all due to Courtney Ruth Miller for standing up on the box and sharing her story of being assaulted outside of Stoney’s Bar. After being arrested for the assault, a mandatory DNA test was done and found to be linked with the murders of Sahara West, Kennedy Johnson, and Sharon Sloane. 

Courtney Miller was attacked by the defense with insulting comments of her provocative nature and that she was the one to “instigate and seduce” Mr. Olsen. She was able to keep a strong ground and lay out the facts of what happened that night, finally bringing justice to what happened to her and the murders of the other three women. 

Reporters tried to continue questioning Miss Miller, but to no avail. A crowd of reporters tried following her to her vehicle, but she was holding hands with a short, dark haired woman who scowled threateningly at the men. At this point, their cameras malfunctioned and no footage of Miss Miller was found to be viewable.

It became a conspiracy theory on Reddit, the story of the witch in the woods who protected her beautiful blonde girlfriend. It was strange that hardly any footage of Courtne Miller was found to be in tact, a fact that conspiracy theorists chalked it up to ghosts, aliens, or the witch that was always accompanying her.

Some theorists even tracked down Miss Miller and tried to confront the woman, but as they turned onto the cul de sac, they were met with the dark haired woman and black cat hissing at them. The woman was reported to be holding a staff, but it seems dodgy at best.

Many of these theorists have taken to writing “fan fiction” of the broody witch and the pretty blonde that she saved from an assault. 

They couldn’t have been more correct.


End file.
